The Effectiveness of the Installation of a Mobile Voice Communication System in a University Hospital

Abstract

In large hospitals, collaborative clinical practice is currently emphasized, with members of various departments expected to work as a team. The importance of accurate communication among the team members is of utmost importance. To improve such communication, the introduction of mobile voice communication systems has received much attention in Japan. Shimane University Hospital also introduced a Personal Handy-phone System (PHS) for doctors. In the traditional setting, much time was wasted searching for doctors through multiple calls on fixed-line telephones. In order to measure the effectiveness of our system, the change in the number of calls made on fixed-line telephones before and after PHS installation was compared. The total number of calls was reduced by more than 35%, and the number of calls to the wards on weekdays was reduced by half. Mobile telecommunication systems with small output power, such as PHS, are known to cause little interference with medical devices which makes it possible to use mobile voice communication safely in hospitals. The improvement in communication by this systems resulted in an improvement in labor efficiency.

A mobile voice communication system in medical setting

“…It basically allowed the members to continue their task-at-hand and reduce unnecessary mobility to locate and connect with their collaborators who were always on their feet [3]. Our study revealed more time for patient care with the savings in time searching for collaborators; previous literature indicated that such time saving led to improved medical safety [6]. Members also used Vocera to manage the conversational progress and negotiate availability for deciding when to switch media, typically to face-to-face communication [4].…”

“…Thus Vocera brought about a more pleasant work environment which has been found to help improve work quality and workload [6]. Life-and-death difference.…”

Design for Supporting Healthcare Teams

“…Collaborative healthcare practices often require that workers have timely access to people, information, and resources (Bardram and Bossen 2005 (Hanada et al 2006;Tang and Carpendale 2009a). In particular, such devices allow clinicians to continue with a current task while communicating with team members about other patients or tasks, improving the efficiency and the quality of patient care (Tang and Carpendale 2009a).…”

Cognitive Informatics for Biomedicine

“…However, competing tasks as well as spatial and temporal distribution of team members create barriers or delays in communication. Mobile wearable communication devices (e.g., Vocera) provide voice-operating connectivity for ad hoc communication among team members that can improve communication and reduce their spatial movements (Hanada et al 2006;Tang and Carpendale 2009a). In particular, such devices allow clinicians to continue with a current task while communicating with team members about other patients or tasks, improving the efficiency and the quality of patient care (Tang and Carpendale 2009a).…”